Endodontic mishaps among undergraduate dental students attending King Saud University and Riyadh Colleges of Dentistry and Pharmacy

Abstract

Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate procedural errors occurring during conventional root canal treatment performed by undergraduate students attending two dental schools in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was distributed to 600 undergraduate dental students from the Riyadh Colleges of Dentistry and Pharmacy (RCsDP) and the College of Dentistry at King Saud University (KSU) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Participants were senior male and female dental students from the 4 th to 6 th years at RCsDP and the 4 th to 5 th years at KSU. Participants were asked to record their endodontic mishaps; these data were analyzed using IBM SPSS software. Chi-square (X2 ) tests were carried out to compare pairs of groups; significance was established at 5% (p < 0.05). Results: The percentage of endodontic mishaps was 68%. The majority of students who made endodontic mishaps were male (73.6%) (X2 =8.74, =0.002). Most mishaps occurred in the posterior area (63.96%) and those with curved roots (39.46%). Conclusion: The frequency of endodontic mishaps occurring at both schools was found to be higher in 4 th year students from KSU, but this dramatically decreased in the 5 th year. Variable results were obtained from the RCsDP 4 th year students, but they did not improve in the 5 th and 6 th year. We believe that the use of step-down techniques utilizing flexible nickel titanium files and more training in the lab will cause potentially fewer procedural complications at both schools.